🧬 Building Berkeley's $1B Innovation Ecosystem | Darren Cooke (Part 1/4)
October 13, 2025
"If you go down a road and then you realize, Ah, shoot. This was not what I expected, or Why am I doing this? you can do something else. Right? Yeah. Don't sweat it."
In this episode, Jon Chee interviews Darren Cooke, UC Berkeley’s Interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer, whose journey spans engineering cochlear implants, high-stakes patent law, and leading innovation at Berkeley. Darren shares how formative moments, career pivots, and mentorship shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, offering practical wisdom and behind-the-scenes stories from working with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to building collaborative biotech communities.
His multifaceted perspective inspires listeners to embrace change, seek hands-on experiences, and build networks that drive biotech innovation.
🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
"If you go down a road and then you realize, Ah, shoot. This was not what I expected, or Why am I doing this? you can do something else. Right? Yeah. Don't sweat it."
In this episode, Jon Chee interviews Darren Cooke, UC Berkeley’s Interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer, whose journey spans engineering cochlear implants, high-stakes patent law, and leading innovation at Berkeley. Darren shares how formative moments, career pivots, and mentorship shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, offering practical wisdom and behind-the-scenes stories from working with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to building collaborative biotech communities.
His multifaceted perspective inspires listeners to embrace change, seek hands-on experiences, and build networks that drive biotech innovation.
Key topics covered:
- Formative Experiences: Early engineering curiosity drives hands-on problem solving.
- Career Pivots: Bold shifts unlock new strengths and passions.
- Mentorship Matters: Guidance from experts accelerates growth and insight.
- Building Startup Ecosystems: Leading collaborative innovation across Berkeley’s biotech landscape.
- Lessons for Founders: Embrace change, stay humble, and unite tech and business for success.
If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
Links:
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Find our guest, Darren Cooke, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddcooke/
Website: http://berkeley.edu/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/
Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:
Website: https://flow.page/kyojin
Resources & Articles:
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo "Learn by Doing" Engineering Program: https://www.calpoly.edu/learn-by-doing
UCSF Department of Otolaryngology: Projects on Cochlear Implants: https://ohns.ucsf.edu/otology-neurotology/cochlear-implant-center
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/criteria/
Columbia Law School’s Pro Bono Requirement: https://www.law.columbia.edu/careers/public-interest/pro-bono-requirement-and-program
Berkeley’s BioTrack at SkyDeck Startup Accelerator: https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/biohealth-track/
NIH and NSF I-Corps Entrepreneurship Programs: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/i-corps
Startup Campus (How UC Berkeley became a leader in entrepreneurship) https://a.co/d/5pCg83q
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
Life Science Angels: https://www.lifescienceangels.com/
UCSF: https://www.ucsf.edu/
Columbia Law School: https://www.law.columbia.edu/
Brown & Bain (now part of Perkins Coie): https://www.perkinscoie.com/
UC Berkeley: https://www.berkeley.edu/
Sonia Sotomayor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-sotomayor-6b7a56117/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
03:48 Early Life in Livermore and Lafayette
07:53 Hobbies and Mechanical Curiosity
10:36 Choosing Cal Poly and “Learn by Doing”
13:07 Pivoting from Engineering to Medicine
17:11 Early Experiences at UCSF and Mentorship
22:55 Moving Toward Law and Columbia Law School
27:37 Working with Sonia Sotomayor
35:27 First Patent Litigation Roles in Phoenix
42:10 Lessons from Brown & Bain and Team Culture
44:50 Outro
The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.